Biomedical Terahertz Systems

四分之一的加拿大人死于癌症，2015年有8万加拿大人死亡，皮肤癌尤其普遍。事实上，皮肤癌的发生率等于所有其他癌症的总和。由于早期检测大大提高了生存率，因此长期以来一直需要快速，可靠和广泛的皮肤癌检测。 皮肤癌检测的最新进展已经通过具有近红外波长的光谱学出现。不幸的是，这些波长很难探测到皮下并区分良性和恶性病变。然而，太赫兹（THz）光谱非常适合皮肤癌检测。它可以探测皮下，从其深太赫兹渗透，并确定恶性病变，从其高太赫兹敏感性的水分。然而，在开发中的肿瘤THz系统存在许多挑战。这些系统非常昂贵，对于广泛的临床使用来说太大，并且具有长的数据采集时间，这对于皮肤的体内扫描是无效的。这些系统使用传统的太赫兹发射器，这需要昂贵和笨重的钛蓝宝石激光器，并使用传统的太赫兹探测器，通过缓慢的测量技术操作。 拟议的工作将开发具有皮肤癌检测和诊断所需功能的肿瘤THz系统。这一功能将通过解决与THz发射和检测相关的关键问题来实现。将开发与廉价和紧凑型掺铒光纤激光器兼容的太赫兹发射器（用于廉价和紧凑型肿瘤太赫兹系统）。将开发太赫兹探测器，利用新技术缩短数据采集时间。 拟议的工作将使用申请人以前完成的几项试点研究的结果。这些试点研究开发了一种光子纳米射流透镜技术，这将使光电导太赫兹发射器和掺铒光纤激光器之间的所需的兼容性。这些试点研究还开发了一种相位掩模技术，该技术将使THz探测器的创建具有皮肤癌诊断所需的短数据采集时间。肿瘤THz系统的原型将随着该技术走向商业化和广泛的可用性/影响而开发。发展中的肿瘤太赫兹系统具有巨大的医疗和商业潜力。

One quarter of Canadians die from cancer, being 80,000 Canadian deaths in 2015, and skin cancer is especially prevalent. In fact, skin cancer has a rate of occurrence equal to that of all other cancers combined. As early detection dramatically increases survival, there exists a longstanding need for quick, reliable, and widespread skin cancer detection. Recent advances in skin cancer detection have appeared through spectroscopy with near-infrared wavelengths. Unfortunately, these wavelengths struggle to probe subdermally and to distinguish benign and malignant lesions. However, terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is ideally suited to skin cancer detection. It can probe subdermally, from its deep THz penetration, and identify malignant lesions, from its high THz sensitivity to moisture. However, there are many challenges with oncological THz systems under development. These systems are prohibitively expensive, are much too large for widespread clinical use, and have long data acquisition times which are ineffective for in-vivo scanning of skin. These systems use conventional THz emitters, which require expensive and bulky titanium-sapphire lasers, and use conventional THz detectors, which operate through slow measurement techniques. The proposed work will develop oncological THz systems possessing the required functionality for skin cancer detection and diagnostics. This functionality will be achieved by addressing key issues related to THz emission and detection. Terahertz emitters will be developed that are compatible with inexpensive and compact erbium-doped fibre lasers (for inexpensive and compact oncological THz systems). Terahertz detectors will be developed that utilize a novel technique for short data acquisition times. The proposed work will use results from several pilot studies previously completed by the applicant. These pilot studies developed a photonic nanojet lensing technique which will enable the required compatibility between photoconductive THz emitters and erbium-doped fibre lasers. These pilot studies also developed a phase mask technique which will enable the creation of THz detectors with the short data acquisition times required for skin cancer diagnostics. Prototypes of the oncological THz systems will be developed as this technology is moved towards commercialization and widespread availability/impact. The developing oncological THz systems have great medical and commercial potential.